Published 22 April 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b1350
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1350

Practice

Guidelines

Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis in children under 5 years: summary of NICE guidance

¹ National Collaborating Centre for Women’s and Children’s Health, London W1T 2QA, ² University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9NH , ³ Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham B4 6NH

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Gastroenteritis is common, with many children having more than one episode a year. The characteristic symptoms—sudden onset of diarrhoea with or without vomiting—are unpleasant and affect both the child and family or carers. Although the illness usually resolves without treatment and can be managed in the community, many children are admitted to hospital each year.^{1 2} In the absence of national guidance, clinical practice is thought to vary considerably across the United Kingdom, with a major effect on the use of healthcare resources.³ This article summarises the most recent recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the diagnosis, assessment, and management of diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis in children under 5 years.⁴

NICE recommendations are based on systematic reviews of best available evidence. When minimal evidence is available, recommendations are based on the Guideline Development Group’s opinion of what constitutes good practice. Evidence levels for . . . [Full text of this article]

Assessing dehydration and shock
Administration of oral rehydration salt solution by nasogastric tube
Fluid management
Other treatments: ondansetron
Other treatments: probiotics

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